Try for searun cutthroat in Coquille River

Local lakes: Anglers slow-trolling nightcrawlers at Bradley Lake last weekend caught plenty of legal-size rainbow trout and a few trophy-size trout. The rainbows are actively feeding and are being caught near the surface, where water temperatures have risen. My wife and I took our grandsons out Sunday to do a little trolling. The weather was perfect and the trout fishing red hot. We caught and released a few nice rainbows that averaged 12 to 14 inches each. We had the best success on a 1⁄8-ounce hot pink Rooster Tail. I can’t believe how hot these fish are! They fight from the minute you hook them all the way until you get them into the boat.

Marsha from Lakeside Marina told me the trout fishing at Tenmile Lakes is on fire. She said there are plenty of rainbows being caught in the 18-to-20-inch range. Anglers are having their best results slow-trolling a wedding-ring spinner tipped with a nightcrawler. Largemouth bass fishing is still good, too. Marsha suggests fishing early mornings or late evenings for the best results.

Local rivers: We’ve received no good reports yet on Coquille River shad fishing. With a high pressure weather system coming in this weekend, look for the shad to go on the bite. Shad like warmer sunny days, which make them more active. Don’t forget that trout season is open in area rivers and streams. There should be plenty of searun cutthroat in the Coquille River system. Try fishing the forks of the river where you would normally steelhead fish. Spring salmon fishing on the lower Rogue River picked back up last week. With new fish moving in and less pressure, anglers are doing well. Look for the fall fish to start moving in toward the first week of July.

Pacific Ocean and beaches: Dan Pribble of Bandon caught a nice limit of pinkfin surf perch from the South Jetty in Bandon recently. Look for pinkfins to start moving into the bay soon. Summer can be a great time of year to catch pinkfins from the jetties all the way up to the Rocky Point area. Craig and Jason Strickland of Bandon gave a clinic on black sea bass fishing last week. They caught and released 50 to 60 fish on surface lines and flies. They fished on a school of blacks that stayed on the surface for about two hours. During calm ocean conditions, black rockfish will work bait to the surface and feed. This can be fun if you pack some light tackle or a fly rod.

Another round of the all-depth halibut season starts today. The season will close again on Sunday and, if sufficient quota remains, will reopen July 2-4. The opening day of the 2009 sport salmon season is Saturday. Only fin-clipped coho salmon may be taken. All Chinook salmon must be released. The bag limit is three coho per day seven days a week until the 110,000-fish quota is met. The minimum size for coho salmon is 16 inches in length.

Area shellfish: Crabbing in the bay at Bandon is still picking up. Russ Churchill of Bandon caught nine nice Dungeness crab last week. We are starting to see about half the crab molting, so sort through them as best you can. A nine-day series of minus tides begins tomorrow, with the lowest tides next Monday through Thursday. The entire coast is open to beach and bay clams.

(Tony Roszkowski has owned and operated Port O’ Call on the Bandon waterfront since 1989. Many South Coast anglers rely on his fish and shellfish reports. Hear more from Tony on ‘Oregon Outdoors’ Thursdays on KWRO 630 AM.)